The Applicant has developed several apparatus of this kind, and in particular an apparatus comprising a device for controlling and unwinding the reel of material as described in French patent application 95.01693. This patent described a device for braking the material take-off reel which was associated with the operating cycle of the apparatus involving rotation of the drum of one revolution, this device being hinged relative to the housing while ensuring, depending on whether or not the apparatus is operating, braking-action contact on at least one of the lateral sides of the reel or release of the latter when the drum rotates one cycle.
One of the problems encountered nevertheless remains the dimensions of the reels of material which are obtained from automated production processes. Indeed, the different reels which can be used according to the invention result from the manufacture of a long length of reel which is then cut into units by appropriate tools. On occasions, therefore, due to the equipment used, the transverse cuts of each reel are not performed with the utmost precision, so that when the reel is introduced into the paper dispensing apparatus there may be certain jamming effects or poor operation of the apparatus. This disadvantage is clearly evident when the paper strip is pulled by the user at an angle. Therefore, even when all the necessary precautions are taken in the design of automatic cutting tools, reels of material on occasions present a diameter differential of a few millimeters which affects the proper operation of the apparatus into which they are inserted.
As part of his research, the Applicant has developed different braking devices for reels of material which act laterally against the sides of the reel. Such devices cannot, however, be applied to the invention.
The Applicant has also developed, as part of his previous research on other types of paper-folding apparatus, a device to control the tension of the strip of paper so as to avoid buckling when the operator pulls the paper too hard. Such a device has notably been described in French patent No. 2647048, remarkable in that it comprised a hinged support frame comprising a rocking arm in the front part of the apparatus. This rocking arm is not, however, directly affected by the rotation of the drum of the cutting device so that its simplified function remains the control and absorption of a buckle of length of material when pulled too hard.